It's Been So Long - A thepudz and Yanmegaman collaboration
by thepudz
Summary: Ever since Apollo left, Athena has been waiting for the day when they will reunite... But over time, she lost hope of ever seeing him again. When Apollo returns one night, Athena doesn't think she can ever forgive him. In the second collaboration between thepudz and Yanmegaman, there is one simple question that must be answered: Can these two ever truly love... Even after so long?
1. Get Out

_**ThePudz:**_ Well… I am collaborating with my inspiration… Again. In all seriousness, I'm sure you're all aware how much the ending of Spirit of Justice broke us. So what can we do during the wait until Ace Attorney 7, where they will hopefully bring Apollo back? WE WRITE FANFICTION ABOUT HIS RETURN, WHAT ELSE. So this time, we are writing less magic and swords, and more fluff and feels. We really hope you guys enjoy this. We are excited to see your feedback! Here is the first chapter by none other and yours truly...

 _ **Yanmegaman**_ : Hi diddily ho, readerinos! I'm excited to be a part of another collab project with my mate from down under, thepudz! This time around, we're stepping out of the realm of medieval fantasy and tackling our mutual shipping obsession: Justicykes! As I'm sure many others were, we were devastated by the ending of Spirit of Justice. Especially how it pulled our OTP apart from one another! So our solution? Why get these lovebirds back together! This chapter is courtesy of the recovering Violent Little Freak himself, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

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 _(Cover Image Credit: Ticcytx.)_

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" _I've… I've made up my mind. I… I still have so many things to learn from you! But… I've decided to stay in Khura'in."_

* * *

Athena Cykes' Apartment  
May 23, 2030

Athena never knew a single sentence could haunt someone so much.

Two years. It had been two years since Apollo's decision to stay in Khura'in. Two _damn_ years. Athena still remembered the impact of the shock she felt when Apollo said those words… It was as if a truck carrying a hundred tonnes had run into her at full speed and ripped her heart out alongside it.

Apollo's decision to stay in Khura'in was something Athena tried to support. And she left Apollo with a smile on her face, but tears in her eyes. Because in reality, she _hated_ that decision. They'd known each other for a year, they'd grown on one another, they'd gone through so much, and it all melted down to a separation. Their link was broken, everything between them was smashed and Athena had never felt so betrayed in her life.

She'd cry herself to sleep most nights just thinking about it. She hugged Apollo before she left, and she never wanted to let go. She was even tempted to kiss him, but she didn't want to make their last moments awkward. She loved the man. _Loved_ him. But that love was taken and destroyed, because it was obvious Apollo didn't return it. The love she felt for Apollo was completely obliterated and never would be restored.

At least, that's what it felt like.

He promised he'd return. Athena held onto that promise like it was the only damn thing that mattered to her in this world, but she'd let go of that promise long ago. It was clear Apollo was just giving out false hope. He didn't care about Athena, he _never_ cared about Athena. All he cared about was being the big-shot lawyer who saved a country from its legal system. Because being famous was more important than friends to Apollo.

 _I feel like such a bitch when I think these things… But I'm thinking the truth. Apollo never cared about me… And he never will…_ Athena wasn't sleeping at two in the morning. She'd barely slept in the last two years, her attitude dropped completely. Now, she was just this empty shell of a woman. Barely recognizable, just skin, muscle and bones. No soul or compassion or anything, just get up, go to work, wait until nine, and go home. That was her life now, a daily routine of doing the same thing, over and over.

Back in the past, work wasn't so dull. She messed around with Apollo when she was bored, if she had to do overtime, she did it with him. There were no silent nights between them, no boring moments. Something was always happening, and that made work enjoyable for Athena in a ways.

Now, even with Trucy and Phoenix, it was just _dull._

Athena threw the sheets off her, staring up at the ceiling. She didn't feel tired, but if you looked at her, you'd think she'd be ready to pass out any second. Bags under her eyes, a slump in her step, and an empty bed. She used to share this apartment with Apollo. When she moved from Europe, she had no place to stay, so she crashed at Apollo's for a year. They were roommates, good ones, and they spent nights together. Athena used to love those nights of arguing who was cooking dinner, going out to get groceries, she would start a pillow fight, or Apollo and her would just nap, with her head rested on his lap or shoulder.

Now she regretted those nights. She regretted the fact she never _told him the truth._ She had more opportunities than she could count to confess to Apollo, but she always chickened out. Now she regretted doing so, because if she did, maybe Apollo would've stayed…

Maybe Athena still would've loved him…

Athena suddenly felt a weight jump onto the end of the bed. She looked down to see her cat, Luna. It had glowing blue eyes that shined in the darkness, and its fur was completely black except for white patches on its body and face. Athena had adopted Luna a month after Apollo left so she could have some company without him. Needless to say, Luna helped a bit. She was cuddly and nice to only Athena, but absolutely despised anyone else.

Luna walked up on Athena's body, and the lawyer smiled slightly, petting behind Luna's ear, to which she purred to. A cat's purr was a beautiful sound to Athena. It always soothed her and made her more comfortable. It was at just the right tone for the girl's sensitive ears.

Apollo never snored. Athena didn't know why, but every time she heard Luna's purr, that was what her thoughts were. She used to get an easy night of sleep because that man was as quiet as a mouse when he slept. Of course, when he woke up to do his daily Chords of Steel, it was a different story. But surprisingly, he never snored.

 _Even two years later… As much as I try, I really can't get Apollo out of my head…_

It looked like it was going to be another all-nighter. Athena had plenty of those. Whenever Apollo came to her head, she could never sleep, because he'd just latch onto her brain and refuse to let go. She hated him so damn much, yet she could never stop thinking about him…

The woman swung her legs over the bed, putting on a long yellow shirt that covered her down to just below her waist. It was her lazy shirt that covered the necessary parts and it was comfortable enough. She walked down the hallway that led to her kitchen and longue room, rubbing her eye with her palm as she did so to remove the sleep. She used to have pictures of her and Apollo all over the apartment, but they were removed soon after he left. She'd rather do her hardest to forget him, even if it was so hard.

He was never coming back, and Athena needed to accept that.

Athena lied down on the couch, grabbing the charging Widget and wrapping it around her neck. It lit up a deep blue, and Athena sighed. "Emotion reading off."

The blue faded, and Widget was just a basic white. Every time Athena put Widget around her neck, it just lit up blue, and the lawyer got rather sick of being reminded she was depressed. She heard rain outside, and it was heavy. It bucketed down, which used to make for easier sleeps for Athena, but now it just reminded her of her emotions currently.

She scrolled throughout the multiple applications Widget had, not picking a single one. She didn't even know why she did this, but it was better than falling asleep and risking a dream… No, a _nightmare_ about Apollo.

Suddenly, Athena saw headlights shine through the front door window. _A car? Who'd be coming here at two in the morning?_ Athena went over to the window to see someone getting out of a taxi and paying a driver. Athena couldn't see whoever it was since it was so dark out, but it was most likely a tourist or someone just staying temporarily. Athena lied back down on her couch, and she heard Luna meow at her.

"It's no one. Don't worry." Athena croaked to the cat. It did a soft, low meow in response, before going back to its own bed. Athena heard the footsteps on the stairs that lead to the upper level apartments. She felt sorry for anyone who was sleeping right now, because those steps would surely wake them up. The steps went in Athena's direction, and just when she thought they were going to go past, they stopped right outside her door.

Then, Athena heard knocking.

 _What the…_ Athena got up, going over to the door to unhook the bolt and undo the lock. She cracked open the door slightly.

"I hope I didn't wake you." A male voice came from the other side. Athena froze. That voice, it sounded so… Familiar… Athena fully opened the door, and her eyes widened at the sight before her.

 _Two horns for hair… Grown a slight stubble… That cute face…_

 _Oh my god… This is Apollo…_

For the first time in two years, the pair laid eyes on one another. Her deep blue eyes gazing into his own dark brown ones. He'd grown a little taller, had a bit more muscle, but he was still the same, dorky Apollo. There was silence. Lots of it. _Too much_ of it. "A-Apollo…"

Apollo smiled at Athena, who was still trying to take all of this in. Here he is, 2:00 AM on a Friday morning, standing outside Athena's apartment, smiling at her. Her emotions erupted… Joy, sadness, shocked, nervousness…

But the biggest of all was _rage._

"I take it you're not happy to see me?" Apollo sighed as he took notice of Athena's glare. She turned around, walking away to comprehend all of this. She placed the tips of her fingers against her forehead, and Apollo took the opportunity to step in, turning on the lights.

"No… No, I'm _not_ happy at all." Athena hissed. Apollo expected this reaction, and he attempted to place a hand on Athena's shoulder, trying to comfort her.

"Athena, I understand-"

" _Understand?_ You… You understand?!" Athena quickly turned, staring at him as if he was the biggest idiot in the world. Apollo slightly backed up, and Athena didn't hold back. "You understand how I've been the last two years, huh?!"

Apollo tried to find some way to make it up to this girl. He crossed his arms, sighing. "Athena… I'm so, so, _so_ sorry. I really am. You need to trust me on this… I hated leaving you just as much as you hated it."

"Then why did you leave in the first place?!" Athena screamed. This was the explosion Apollo was bracing for… "For the last two years, I have _suffered!_ We were partners, Apollo! Partners never abandon each other… I guess being some big-shot lawyer was way more important to you than I was."

"Athena, c'mon. That's not true." Apollo said in a comforting voice. Suddenly, he heard a sharp hiss, and looked down to his feet to see a cat putting on a death stare and shooting it directly at him. "Y-You… Have a cat?"

"Her name is Luna. You want to know why I have a cat?" Athena walked up to Apollo, her face mere millimeters away from his. That's when Apollo spotted the tears in her eyes, and he'd never felt such guilt in his life. "It's because I was lonely without you Apollo… I needed someone to comfort me…"

Apollo wasn't sure if he was allowed to hug Athena, but he didn't get the chance to as the woman walked away. "We were friends… For a year… I… I lov- I really liked you, Apollo! I forgave you for accusing me of murder because you were doing everything you could to trust me… But what was the point in _leaving me?!_ I've felt horrible for the last two years without you… Look at me, Apollo! I'm a goddamn mess!"

She was. She really was. Her skin was pale, she was skinnier then when he last saw her and the bags under her eyes were strong. Athena looked away from Apollo, and she started to sob. "Athena… I had to stay in Khura'in. Someone needed to fix their courts, and I was the only one who could do it… Please, you have to believe me, I never wanted to abandon you… But I _had_ to, Athena."

"No…" Athena looked up to Apollo, tears in her eyes and some streaming down her cheeks. "You didn't _have_ to stay. You made the _choice_ to stay. And that choice ruined me forever. Remember when I held your hand, Apollo? You were scared of heights, and I held your hand to comfort you… That wasn't the only time. But when my hand needed holding, when I needed comforting… You held it, and then…"

Athena sniffed, and she glared at Apollo. "You let go."

The cat hissed yet again at Apollo, and it seemed it was going to claw at his throat any second. "Now, Apollo… _Get out._ "

"Huh?" Apollo looked up at Athena. She wanted to push him, but she didn't want to touch him, so she simply pointed to the door, looking away from Apollo. "Get out, Apollo. I'll see you in the morning, and we'll talk more then."

"Athena, come on. I've got nowhere else to go." Apollo sighed.

"And I had nowhere to go because I was lost without you!" Athena screamed her lungs raw. "So maybe you'll understand what it's like! _GET OUT!_ "

Apollo took Athena's hand in his own, and Athena froze. His hands were rough and coarse, and they contradicted her smooth, beautiful ones. She looked up at Apollo, her mouth slightly open. "Athena, I'm sorry… I really am."

Athena was frozen. But she shut her eyes, and took her hand out of Apollo's. "W-We… We'll talk more in the morning. Get out."

Apollo wanted to comfort her, but it was obvious she wasn't in the mood to listen to him. She got impatient, and placed her hand on Apollo's chest. It had gotten stronger, buffer. He obviously did some work in Khura'in, because holy crap, he had certainly got stronger.

Athena snapped out of that state and starting pushing Apollo. She gently shoved him out of the door. "Maybe I didn't make myself clear. For the last time, Apollo…"

She grabbed the door, screaming as she slammed it. " _Geeeeeet OUT!_ "

The door slammed in Apollo's face, and he was already getting drenched in the rain. "Athena, it's raining out here. I'll freeze."

"Too bad!" Athena screamed from inside.

"Athena, I swear I can make all of this up to you. I'll do _anything._ You know I kept a picture of you on my desk in Khura'in… You never left my mind, ever. I wasn't trying to forget you, I never wanted to forget you. You were the most precious thing I had in Khura'in, right next to my attorney's badge." Apollo called out. There was some silence, and Apollo silently prayed what he had said had gotten to Athena.

Suddenly, Apollo heard the lock being undone, and Athena opened the door for him. "You're taking the couch."

Apollo sighed with relief, and he stepped in to the apartment again. Apollo closed the door behind him, and by the time he had stepped in, Athena was already at the door of her bedroom. "Athena-"

"We'll talk more in the morning." Athena said as she opened the bedroom door. Apollo sighed, before trying to smile for Athena.

"Okay. See you in the morning, _Tiger._ " Apollo called out. Athena froze at that nickname… She hadn't been called that in two years. She looked at Apollo, and the man could've sword that for a nanosecond, she _smiled._

"Apollo…" Athena sighed. She closed her eyes. "I'mreallygladthatyou'reback."

And with that burst, Athena shut her bedroom door. Apollo didn't catch a single word, but he shook his head. He lied down on the couch, and he saw Widget on the coffee table next to him. He hadn't seen that gadget in so many years… He took it in his hand, and suddenly, he felt something jump onto his legs.

It was Luna.

Luna hissed at Apollo yet again, before curling up on his chest, locking Apollo into place. The man couldn't move unless he wanted to die, so he simply put Widget on charge. And with the uncomfortable weight on his chest, Apollo fell asleep in his apartment for the first time in two years.

 _The morning is certainly going to be interesting… But I'm happy I can finally see her again. It's been so long, not even a call or anything… I feel so damn bad for abandoning her like that… But it had to be done…_

 _Hopefully everything will be sorted out_ _ **tomorrow…**_ _I didn't come back for her to hate me._


	2. Sun and Moon

_**Yanmegaman**_ : When there's no more room in Hell, Yanmegaman will walk the Earth again! Hi guys! Sorry for the massive delay on this chpater. Writer's blcok struck me kinda hard. But with some encouragement (and threats) from my pal, I finally powered through and finished it! I hope you like what I did. Would also like to take the chance to thank our mutual friend JordanPhoenix for giving me music suggestions!

 _ **Thepudz:**_ You know what I love? Getting to say we're not dead again. My partner had a massive case of writer's block, and he stayed up late nights to get this out to you guys, and he has made the wait WELL worth it with some beautiful fluff and FEELS! We hope you enjoy!

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Athena Cykes' Apartment  
May 24, 2030

Athena tossed and turned in her bed. God, she was so tired. But she couldn't sleep for the life of her. So many thoughts were buzzing around in her head. Some about _murdering_ Apollo in his sleep. Some about rushing into the living room right now and kissing him until she had no breath left in her lungs.

She hated him so much. But she still loved him so damn much!

On the one hand, she was still so furious with him for abandoning her. Not even a phone call in two years? What possible reason could he have for that!?

On the other hand, she knew the moment she saw his face that those feelings she had tried for two years to suppress, to forget, were still there. She still loved him. God, did she love him.

Sighing, the girl rolled over and looked up at the ceiling. "Damn you, Apollo Justice."

Apollo laid there on the couch, unable to get comfortable in the position he was in, yet unable to adjust himself do to the fluffy _death machine_ laying in his chest. He'd managed to pass out for a couple of hours, but had awoken when Luna had stood and up laid down in a different position on his chest, the cat's butt now right in his face.

This current situation left him with not much to do but think.

He'd expected her hostile reaction when he'd shown up. After all, he'd really hurt the girl. And he truly hated himself for it.

 _Damn it._ He berated himself. _I knew wasn't going to get the warmest of welcomes, but I don't expect to try throwing me out! Then again, I can't really blame her. Probably the number one question she has is why I stopped talking to her. …I really need to do something for her. Something to begin showing her just how sorry I am._

The red clad lawyer glanced over to the adjoined kitchen to the living room and got an idea.

 _If there's one thing I learned about Athena in the year we lived together, it's her favorite foods. Now… How to get over there without having Luna go for my jugular?_

Athena finally decided it was time to get up get ready for work. Saying she woke up would be a stretch, as she hadn't slept hardly a wink. Her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, most of them basically boiling down to something akin to a little kid plucking the petals off a flower, alternating between 'I love him, I love him not.'

 _If nothing else, Apollo deserves a chance to explain himself. As far as staying in Khura'in goes, I understand his reasoning. But why couldn't he have at least stayed in touch?_

As the girl exited her bedroom, her nose was instantly greeted with a lovely scent and her ears, a tune. Both very familiar to the young woman.

The smell was that of Apollo's self-titled world famous wild berry pancakes. Something Athena hadn't had in over two years.

It brought back happy memories. The first night she had stayed in this apartment, Apollo made pancakes the next day. It had really made her feel welcome.

At the time, the girl had merely been crashing on the couch as she had no place to call home at the time, having just arrived in the states. But about a week later, the two decided it was mutually beneficial for her to move in. Having a good friend as her roommate had been great. The two's relationship had only grown stronger in that time.

The music, however, left a bittersweet feeling in her gut.

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Apollo Justice and Athena Cykes' Apartment  
March 17, 2028

Apollo and Athena both collapsed on the couch, the long hours of the day weighing down on the two.

"Uuuugh. I swear if I ever see another case report in my life, it'll be too soon." Athena groaned as she lay on top of her roommate, who had landed face first on the sofa.

"You said it. Don't see why we get stuck with the case filing for _his_ cases." Apollo agreed.

Athena rolled off the man's back as he began to sit up, making his way to the bathroom. "I'm gonna get first shower." He said before entering the room and closing the door behind him.

Athena decided to relax in the same way she normally did. With music. She reached down to her neckline and activated Widget, going through her music and setting it to shuffle.

A few songs played, including _You Got it Bad_ by Usher, _I Wanna Know_ by Joe, and _Crazy for You_ by Madonna. Athena sang along to each one, knowing each one by heart at this point. With each word, she felt a bit of her energy coming back to her, and before long, she found herself on her feet, her eyes closed as she belted out the lyrics. Behind her eyelids. Only one image came to her mind.

Apollo. That wonderful warm smile of his. Those adorable little horns atop his head, which she couldn't help but see as bunny ears herself. The red clothes he always wore, which suited him so well.

God, she wanted to tell him. Tell him about these feelings. But how would he react? There was their job to think about as well. Assuming Apollo felt the same, would Mr. Wright be ok with his two employs hooking? She wasn't even sure how he felt about them living together!

The girl was so oblivious to her surroundings; it wasn't until Madonna's last words were sung that she opened her eyes to find she had an audience.

Apollo had apparently finished his shower and was now standing in the hallway, dressed in a pair of red pajama bottoms and a white wife beater. He smiled at his roommate as he crossed his arms. Athena quickly muted the little AI around her neck.

"That's quite a set of pipes you've got on you, Tiger." The senior lawyer said as he stepped toward the girl.

Athena's cheek stained red. "Uh, t-thanks. Um… How-How long were you standing there."

"A few minutes." Apollo replied, that warm smiled Athena loved so much never leaving his face. "Long enough to feel like I should have paid for a ticket."

The redhead's cheeks merely grew a deeper red. Apollo's compliments could be rare, but he always knew just what to say to render the girl speechless.

"Don't suppose I could hear one more?" The horn fringed lawyer requested.

"H-huh?" It was all Athena could choke out. She certainly hadn't expected _that!_

"Another song. I was kind of enjoying the show." Apollo took a seat on the couch. "Don't let me ruin your fun."

Athena stood there motionless for a moment. She listened to his heart, and he was being sincere. He truly had enjoyed her impromptu performance.

She loved the sound of his heart when he was happy. One might think it was the same _thump_ sound as one heard from stethoscope. But it was different. Athena had heard many heartbeats in her life. Experienced them shifting and changing with their emotions. But Apollo's was her favorite. It's rhythm was one of warmth and sincerity. It was very much like music to her ears.

Athena reached down and unmuted Widget, bringing the music back on just as one song ended and the next began.

And although the lyrics of the song reminded her so much of the man before her, further deepening her blush, she began to sing.

 _ **I hear your name whispered on the wind  
It's a sound that makes me cry  
I hear a song blow again and again  
Through my mind and I don't know why  
I wish I didn't feel so strong about you  
Like happiness and love revolve around you**_

 _ **Trying to catch your heart  
Is like trying to catch a star  
So many people love you baby  
That must be what you are**_

Athena took a moment to glance at the man on the couch before her to still him wearing that warm smile just as the piano kicked in, signaling the beginning of the chorus.

 _ **Waiting for a star to fall  
And carry your heart into my arms  
That's where you belong  
In my arms baby, yeah**_

 _ **Waiting for a star to fall  
And carry your heart into my arms  
That's where you belong  
In my arms baby, yeah**_

Apollo listened closely to the words of the song. He knew that it was just a simple happenstance that this particular song would play. But he couldn't help but imagine she had chosen it. The words perfectly described how he felt for this beautiful girl that had crashed her way into his life. He sometimes took jabs at her, claiming she invaded his home. But deep down, he had been so much happier since she had moved in. When she'd first begun living with him, it had been a nice change of pace. With Clay scheduled to go into space in just a few months, it left the astronaut with less time for his friend. Having someone else he could pal around with at the time had been welcome.

 _ **I've learned to feel what I cannot see  
But with you I lose that vision  
I don't know how to dream your dream  
So I'm all caught up in superstition  
I want to reach out and pull you to me  
Who says I should let a wild one go free**_

 _ **Trying to catch your heart  
Is like trying to catch a star  
But I can't love you this much baby  
And love you from this far**_

After the Space Center trial, Apollo had expected her to pack her bags and leave. He had accused her of murder after all.

But she didn't.

Despite everything that had happened, she stayed with him. At first he thought it was because she felt she had nowhere else to go.

But she again proved him wrong just a month later.

 _ **Waiting for a star to fall  
And carry your heart into my arms  
That's where you belong  
In my arms baby, yeah**_

 _ **Waiting for a star to fall  
And carry your heart into my arms  
That's where you belong  
In my arms baby, yeah**_

" _Apollo? Apollo, I can hear you in there. Are you ok?"_

" _I-I'm fine, Athena. You can go back to bed."_

" _You definitely are not fine, and I don't need Widget to tell me that! I'm coming in!"_

"… _I didn't want you to see me like this, Athena."_

" _Apollo… I know losing Clay has been very hard, but this isn't the way to cope. Drowning your sorrows in a bottle just dulls the pain. It doesn't make it go away."_

" _I-I know… I just… Huh? What are you-"_

" _I'm giving my friend the hug he clearly needs right now. Don't even try to resist."_

"… _Thank you…"_

 _ **Waiting (however long...)  
I don't like waiting (I'll wait for you...)  
It's so hard waiting (don't be too long...)  
Seems like waiting (makes me love you even more...)**_

She had been his literal shoulder to cry on during the darkest time in his life. She hadn't stayed out of having no place to go. She had been genuinely worried for her friend. Despite what he had done to her, she still cared about him. Was still his friend.

 _ **Waiting for a star to fall  
And carry your heart into my arms  
That's where you belong  
In my arms baby, yeah**_

 _ **Waiting for a star to fall  
And carry your heart into my arms  
That's where you belong  
In my arms baby, yeah**_

* * *

Athena Cykes' Apartment  
May 24, 2030

Athena stood in the doorway to the kitchen, watching Apollo as he slid a another pancake onto a growing stack. He hadn't seemed to notice her yet as he hummed along to _that_ song, which was playing from his phone place on the counter.

It was only when the man turned around to set the stack of fluffy deliciousness on the table next to an already poured glass of orange juice that he took notice of the girl. He smiled at her, attempting to seem welcoming.

But his face made her shudder.

This is not to say she found him repulsive in any way, but the bags under his eyes clearly gain from sleeplessness as well as the multiple scratch marks across his face took her by surprise. She surmised Luna had decided to make Apollo her bed. And had not been pleased when the lawyer decided to get up.

"What happened to you?" She asked the man, wanting more to hear from him than out of actual curiosity, as she took a seat at the table.

"Oh, well, my bunk mate apparently doesn't take kindly to being refused cuddling." He faked a laugh as he turned off the music on his phone, much to Athena's relief. "So, I guess I got some battle scars from that."

Athena simply shrugged and reached for the bottle of syrup, drowning her breakfast in the sweet gooey substance.

"I hope ya like it. I remember you saying I made the best pancakes." Apollo said as he took a seat across from her.

Athena took her first bite, and despite the explosion of flavor in her mouth, managed to keep a straight face. She took a sip of her orange juice before speaking. "You've got until I finish my breakfast to explain your case. So I suggest you start talking."

Apollo was taken aback by her bluntness, but began quickly racking his brain for the words to explain to this girl why he'd lost contact with her.

"Athena… First, I just wanna say I'm sorry. It was stupid of me to not talk to you for so long. And you have every right to hate my guts."

Athena listened to both his words and his heart. So far he was being sincere. He truly felt sorry for how he'd hurt her. But him feeling sorry was nowhere near enough for her to forgive him.

"But I guess you really just wanna know why. And the answer is just that… I couldn't. For the first six months I was in Khura'in, I was so swamped with cases; I had no time to make any phone calls or anything. Heck, it was a miracle I could even send the few letters I did to the office."

Athena remembered those letters. All five of them. They had felt so impersonal. The words on them feeling forced. They didn't even feel like they'd been written by the same man she'd fallen for.

"After that, I finally thought I could begin getting back in touch with you guys. But the same day I was trying to call you and talk like we used to, I suddenly had a massive case dropped in my lap. Right as I dialed your number no less!"

The redhead remembered that day as well. It had been a lazy day at the office and she was bored out her mind. Her phone had gone off and she saw Apollo's number. She had ecstatically answered, eager to hear his voice.

But he hung up almost immediately. He never even said a word.

"Anyway, there had actually been a few attempts on Princess Rayfa's life. Although plenty of people had joined the revolution and wanted a complete reform of the legal system, there were others that formed separate group. The Ga'ran Reinstatement Regime. They still believed in that false queen's words and that all lawyers were evil. They were willing to resort to assassination to put Ga'ran back in power. And they wouldn't stop with Rayfa either."

Athena paused as she was drinking and set her glass down. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying… I'm saying they tried to kill me. Me, Rayfa, Nahyuta, and even Ema. We were their targets. They knew we were the only ones that could stop them. So they tried to stop us first. So we had to go into hiding. Rayfa couldn't do the same, so security was beefed up. But Nahyuta, Ema and, I disappeared. I closed my law office and everything and worked in the shadows to help topple the regime."

This was all beginning to sound familiar. She had heard about the Reinstatement Regime on the news. But she'd had no idea it had put Apollo's life at risk. Even after everything, the mere thought of Apollo being killed… It nearly made her break.

"We were able to come out of hiding over a year ago, but we still didn't have the evidence needed to take them down. But we finally did it last week. We managed to link the leader of the Regime not only to the attempted assassinations, but also to the death of another defense attorney that set up their office after I decided to stay. Without their leader, the Regime dissolved." Apollo took a moment to take sip of his own drink, his throat beginning to feel dry. "And there's one other reason I pushed you all away." He took one last second before speaking. "It was to protect you."

"P-protect me?"

Apollo nodded. "They came after me, Athena. It's only thanks to Rayfa's Royal Guard that I'm alive right now. And I knew that they'd try to get to me again. Maybe not by trying to kill me, either… I was afraid they'd come after you."

Athena couldn't believe what she had just heard. In the two years Apollo had been gone, he had a corrupt regime hunting him? He had pushed her away to protect her? It was all too much to take in.

Athena stood from her seat and began walking to her room. "I-I need to get ready for work." She said before walking away.

"H-hey, hold on!" Apollo cried after her. Athena stopped in her tracks, not turning around to face the man. "Let me come with you. I feel like I may need to go beg for my job back."

Athena kept her back to him, staying silent for a moment. "I leave in a half hour."

With that, the yellow lawyer entered her bedroom, never once turning around.

She refused to let Apollo see the tears now staining her cheeks.

* * *

Wright Anything Agency  
May 24  
9:00 AM

Phoenix Wright didn't look up from his computer as he heard the door of the agency open.

"Morning, Athena. Coffee's already brewed if you need some."

"Great. I missed my usual cup this morning." Replied a voice. A _male_ voice.

Phoenix finally looked up and simply couldn't believe his eyes.

Apollo Justice now stood in his office again after two years. It was surreal seeing the man again. Communication with him had been fairly scarce.

Phoenix stood up immediately and stepped toward the man. Normally, the Legal Legend wasn't much for physical contact. But with this young man, whom he had come to think of as a son in the time he had worked for him, he made an exception, pulling the man into a hug.

"Apollo… When did you get back? Why didn't you tell me you were coming? How long-"

Apollo chuckled as the two men pulled apart. "C'mon one question at a time, Mr. Wright. I'll answer all your questions in due time." He beamed a warm smile as his mentor and friend. "Right now, I kinda have a question of my own."

The spikey haired lawyer returned the smile with one of his own. "Sure," He said, gesturing to the chair by his desk. "C'mon, have a seat."

The red lawyer accepted the offered chair and the two sat across from each other just as the door opened again, Athena stepping in this time.

"There you are, Athena!" Phoenix exclaimed. "Take a look at who's back-"

"I know, boss. He stayed at my place last night." The girl replied bluntly, making a beeline for the coffee machine.

"She seems… A bit on edge." Phoenix said as he turned his attention back to the lawyer across from him.

"Yeah… I didn't exactly get welcomed home with open arms last night. And I guess I can't really blame her." Apollo looked forlornly towards the floor for a moment before taking in a deep breath and looking back to his mentor. "But, that's something for another time. Onto my question. I was wondering if that offer for me to come back to the agency was still open?"

Phoenix stared blankly at his friend for a moment before smiling brightly. "Of course, Apollo! I told you, there will always be a place for you here. When do you think you can start again?"

"Hey, I have no problem starting now, if that's alright. I sort of need a job as soon as I can, since…" Apollo quickly glanced at Athena, who seemed completely engrossed in drinking her coffee at her desk on the opposite end of the room. "I don't really know what my living situation will be like in the near future." He spoke quietly.

The blue suited attorney looked sadly at the man before him. Phoenix was no fool. He knew full and well exactly how the two of them had felt about each other before Apollo's departure. He had also taken notice of Athena's change in attitude since. Not only was she much quieter, every so often, he would take notice that Widget took on its sad expression far more often. He surmised these were moments when she was thinking about Apollo.

"The job's all yours, Apollo. We even left your desk right where it was when you left. But before you get to work…" Phoenix opened his desk drawer and fished around for something for moment before finding it. He leaned in close and whispered in the man's ear. "I think you'll be needing this back." He said as he placed the object in Apollo's hand.

Apollo looked down and opened his hand, which now held a heart shaped locket, made of sterling silver. He clicked the small button on the side, and sure enough, still inside was that same picture he himself had placed in it two years prior. He mouthed the words to himself that were engraved.

 _You are my sun, my moon, and all of my stars._

* * *

 **SONGS USED IN THIS CHAPTER:  
Waiting For A Star To Fall – BOY MEETS GIRL**

* * *

 _ **REVIEW RESPONSES (THEPUDZ):  
**_ **Camperor:  
I've already addressed this topic with you, but I thought I might make this public. Yes, we know Justicykes will never be canon. You know what else will never be canon? EVERY SHIP EVER! You are a serious asshole for going around to every story with Justicykes on it and saying the ship will never be canon simply because you dislike it. Buddy, listen closely, this may be a LOT to take in, especially for you, but… Opinions. I'm going to assume you don't know what an opinion is, so here's the definition: "a view or judgement formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge." There, got that into your brain? Good. Now leave Justicykes shippers alone. Dick.**

 **SkyiesTheLimit:  
You are such a dear. Thank you so much, we appreciate the love!**

 **JordanPhoenix:  
You have addressed the flamer better than I ever could, my friend, but I'll just write to your review. I certainly hope you're pleased with the answer of why Apollo never called, I know you weren't very happy with him about that! We are glad you enjoyed the chapter, nonetheless. **

**ChloboShoka:  
SoJ teared us apart, too. It teared us to SHREDS. OUR JUSTICYKES. WHY, CAPCOM. Soooo the best course of action was to write shippy fanfic until he returns into Athena's arms. We are very happy you enjoyed!**

 **Tabetha Winters:  
YOU HAVE RECEIVED MOAR, MY FRIEND! Ah, don't worry about the flamers getting to us. It provides a bit of amusement! **


	3. I Cared About You

_**ThePudz:**_ Ahh, I love writing good ol' fashion feels! The magical siblings, AKA Apollo and Trucy, reunite in this chapter after two long years! And you are all FINALLY getting some Justicykes fluff with this one… But grab those tissues and prepare yourself for some feels in my last chapter for this story… My partner will be the finale to this tale of two lost lovers!

 _ **Yanmegaman**_ : Oh man, once again, my cohort has dealt out some massive feels in his chapter! This should be the penultimate chapter, guys, so get ready for fluff, feels, and tears next chapter! I would also like to thank everyone for all the wonderful feedback! We got a lot of controversy when this story was first posted, and I am so glad that trend didn't continue and that everyone has been so mature in their reviews rather than lowering themselves to flaming and ship hate! We love all of you guys!

* * *

Wright Anything Agency  
May 24, 2030  
9:05 AM

Sitting in his old desk gave a sense of odd nostalgia to Apollo as he looked around to see all his normal stuff. His tub of pens, his paper files which were now empty for the first time… _Ever._ His revolving chair which he usually used to spin around and talk to Athena with, but she was too busy writing her own stuff and would sooner tell Apollo to piss off.

"So, uh, Mr. Wright… What exactly do you want me to do today? I ain't exactly got any paperwork to fill out or anything…" The lawyer asked his boss. He simply smirked.

"I'm gonna try and find you a case as soon as I can, but in the meantime, someone is on their way who might take up a _lot_ of your time…" Phoenix answered. At that time, Apollo heard footsteps on the steel steps outside the agency. _Let's hope this reunion goes better than the_ _ **other one…**_

The door handled turned, and an eighteen year old Trucy Wright stepped in, dressed in her normal magician outfit and top hat. Her hair was the exact same length and tied into the familiar pigtail behind her head. Beside her, nineteen year old Pearl Fey walked in, who supported a rather normal looking outfit of a pink jacket and blue denim jeans to suit the cold outside. "Sorry I'm late Daddy! I had to pick up Pearl from the train stop and finding a cab was a _nightmare._ "

"You'll be glad you came. I've got someone you've wanted to see for quite a while." Phoenix announced. Trucy beamed a smile, and before even seeing the person's face, she bowed, taking off her top hat and placing it on her chest.

"Trucy Wright, at your service! Welcome to the Wright Anything Agency!" She beamed, placing her top hat back on. She then finally looked at the person behind Apollo's desk. "So, what's your name?"

Her eyes then widened.

She stepped back, her eyes snapped wide. Pearl had the exact same expression as her friend. Apollo tried to make light out of the situation, crossing his arms and smiling. "Well, I'm Apollo Justice, a lawyer and… Someone you haven't seen in _two years_."

Trucy looked Apollo up and down, her mouth seeming like it wanted to say something but immediately getting caught in her throat. "Y-you're not real… Y-you can't be…"

"I'm as real as you can get. I'm not going away anymore. I'm… I'm here, Truce. For good." Apollo smiled. Trucy continued look at him, still not believing it, still thinking her eyes were deceiving her. "You can hate me if you want… I understand, I mean-"

"Shut up." Trucy cut Apollo off, before beaming a massive grin. "Shut up, and let me _love you!_ " She squealed as she sprinted and jumped into Apollo's arms, wrapping both arms around his neck and burying her head into his collar. Her feet were lifted off the ground as Apollo wrapped both arms tightly around her back, holding her up. "You're finally back… I was so lonely without you…"

"I'm here, Truce. I'm here for good. And I'm never leaving you again…" Apollo whispered soothingly. Trucy finally let go of her brother, looking him in the eyes for the first time in two years. She couldn't resist leaning on the tip of her toes and placing a kiss on his cheek, before grabbing a chair and sitting down.

"I hope you didn't forget about me!" Pearl cried as she threw herself into Apollo's arms as well, hugging him. Apollo couldn't fathom the fact Pearl and Trucy had greeted him with such love, but Athena was so _cold._ She only glanced up at them, but it was enough for Trucy to take notice.

"Isn't this amazing, Athena?! He's back! We've been waiting for this moment for so long!" Trucy cheered, but immediately dropped when Athena looked up, a dull expression on her face. She sighed, going back to her own paperwork.

"Yeah, it's _so_ amazing…" Athena mumbled, rolling her eyes. Apollo felt a sting at that one. Trucy walked over to Athena, placing a hand on her shoulder to somehow comfort her.

"But you said you were so excited for this day-"

"Shut up, Trucy!" Athena growled, slapping Trucy's hand off her. "Y-You don't know what you're talking about! I might've said that in the past, but things are different now… Leave me alone." Athena sighed as she continued to fully ignore everyone and go back to the dull paperwork. Trucy looked hurt as she sat back down.

"Polly… What happened between you two?" Trucy asked in a soft whisper. Apollo looked down at his feet, utter guilt and sorrow as he mumbled.

"She doesn't want me back… I was gone for too long. Look at her. I wrecked her, it's my fault." Apollo sighed. Trucy leaned forward, grabbing Apollo's arm with a gloved hand.

"But you told me! You told me how you felt about her…" Trucy whispered. Pearl grabbed Apollo's other arm, staring pleadingly into his eyes.

"Apollo, please! We had this big reunion planned and… And we need to see it happen!" Pearl begged. Trucy shook Apollo's arm.

"Polly, at least think about me! I care so much about you two, I can't just be in the middle trying to fix things! Do you know what that would do to me?! The only ones that can fix this are you and Athena, no one else! Please, Polly…" Trucy begged even more. Apollo continued looking down at the floor, and for a second, Trucy could've sworn she saw a tear leaking down his cheek, but he quickly wiped it away.

"I'm sorry, Truce… I know we had a plan and a hope for the future… I'm sorry…" Apollo sobbed, turning in his seat to look out the window instead of Trucy. He didn't want to upset his sister any further. Trucy felt on the verge of tears herself as she backed away, a hand gripped at her heart as she felt it shatter into a million pieces. Trucy and Pearl quickly went over to Athena.

"I said leave me alone." Athena growled.

"Athena, please! You always told me how he would restore you and make you full again… Isn't the reason Widget is gone because of him?" Pearl asked. Athena immediately shot a death stare to the girls, but they didn't stop.

"That's right. Widget no longer functions because all it would display is sadness whenever you wore it, Athena. Put it on right now, what would it display? I'd bet it'd be happiness!" Trucy accused. Athena didn't reply, but she took every single word to heart. Trucy and Pearl backed away from the woman, before looking at each other.

"Oh, what do we do, Pearl? What _can_ we do?!" Trucy asked in panic. "The two people I love are so torn apart! She hates him, and he has to suffer… And I have to be in the middle… How can I handle all this?! How can I handle coming into the office each day and getting a death stare from Athena when I talk to Apollo and a sigh of sadness from Apollo when I talk to Athena?! How can I love two people when they don't love each other?! It's _impossible!_ "

"Trucy, relax. We need to figure something out." Pearl gripped Trucy's shoulders. Trucy buried her head into her friend's shoulder, holding back every single tear she possibly could, and even then, some were shed. Pearl hugged Trucy, rubbing circles around her back, comforting her. "We got Mr. Nick and Mystic Maya back together when they seemed to hate each other after his disbarment. We can do this, Truce! After all, we're the _Ace Shippers!_ "

Trucy sniffled, but managed to put on a smile for her friend. "You're the best, Pearl."

"I know, I know…" Pearl comforted. She broke the hug, before slightly shaking Trucy. "Now get that brilliant brain of yours working! How do we get these two to reunite properly?"

"Um… Think, Trucy, think!" Trucy whispered to herself, racking her brain. So many ideas came to her head, but none were _perfect._ Every single one of them had some flaw that would result in the void between them to grow stronger.

And then, a lightbulb appeared.

"Pearl, we need to talk to Daddy and find out where these two met, and all the information about that location! Hopefully we find something good…"

* * *

Athena Cykes' Apartment  
May 24, 2030

The two didn't even exchange a single word the entire night except for Athena asking Apollo what pizza he wanted. The two didn't feel like making dinner themselves, so all they could do was eat a pizza on the couch and watch whatever was on T.V together. It went on like this in silence for more hours than necessary, and Apollo eventually felt like breaking it.

"Athena… I'm so sorry. But you do believe me, right?" Apollo asked. Athena kept her eyes shut and sighed.

"Maybe you're right. Maybe you did do everything and risk your life to save me…" Athena then shot a glare in his direction. "Or maybe you've been lying to me this whole time."

"If I was lying, you would've heard." Apollo replied. Athena kept staring at Apollo for a bit more, before getting up off the couch.

"I'm heading to bed. I don't feel like talking to you right now." Athena bitterly said.

"I'll wait, then. You'll be ready eventually." Apollo called out as Athena slammed the door to her bedroom. Apollo sighed to himself, taking off his shirt to be ready for another sleep on the couch. Luna was in Athena's bedroom this time since the woman felt merciful, but when Apollo was about to lie down on the couch, Athena opened the door yet again.

"Forgot to get Widget." She mumbled, going to the table in front of the couch. But as she walked towards to the location, she spotted Apollo shirtless.

More specifically, she spotted those _scars._ She froze as she saw the familiar wounds from the explosion of three years ago. "Y-You still have them… I-I remember treating them…"

"I reckon they look alright on me, actually." Apollo chuckled. Athena stared at his chest a bit more, before closing her eyes and shaking her head. _Now's not the time to be drooling, Athena!_ She made a grab for Widget, walking away from Apollo as fast as she could before she actually started having _sympathy_ for him.

"Wait, didn't Trucy say Widget wasn't working anymore? Why're you-"

"None of your damn business!" Athena snapped, before slamming the door yet again. Apollo sighed, lying down on the couch yet again stomach first. He suddenly cried out in pain when he accidently put weight on a certain spot on his stomach. He rolled onto his back, running a hand over the painful scar he had on his stomach that triggered the sting. This one was pink, it was fresher than the rest of his wounds…

It was… more _recent…_

* * *

Athena went over to her bed, and activated Widget yet again, looking down at the blank slate as it lighted up. For two years, every time Athena clipped the device around her neck, it'd display blue and would refuse to render any other emotion.

Athena was just pure _sad_ with Apollo gone.

She sighed. _I bought you here for an experiment, buddy…_ She closed her eyes, clipping the device around her neck. When she opened her eyes, she was expecting the same blue she always got. The same sadness. But not this time.

When she opened her eyes, Widget was the regular grey that it used to be. It was normal…

Athena immediately took Widget off. "N-No, you're… You're lying! I'm still sad!" Athena threw Widget to the corner of her room. "Dammit, you're all lying to me! Why do you all think I still care about him so much?" She whispered in frustration. She immediately got up, grabbing her bedside lamp and lunging it to the same corner of her room, shattering the glass inside. She grabbed the sheets off her bed, throwing them away. "You're lying, you're lying, _you're lying!_ I-I don't care about him at all!" She chucked a pillow at the window, hoping to break it, but doing no damage.

She flopped face down onto the bed, screaming in frustration. She couldn't believe the childish tantrum she was having right now, and she pulled at her hair, messing it up. "What is _wrong with me?!_ What's happening to me?!"

She curled up into a ball on the bed, and started to sob, crying herself to sleep.

* * *

Wright Anything Agency  
May 25, 2030

Apollo and Athena walked through the office doors to meet a _very_ happy Trucy, Pearl and Phoenix. Athena looked completely worn out, her red stinging eyes glowing. "Good news, guys! We got something for you to _both_ do!" Trucy beamed. She then immediately took notice of Athena's collar. "Athena… Y-You're wearing Widget and… It's normal…"

"I know it is." Athena replied. She sighed, before looking at Phoenix. "What've you got for us, boss?"

"I'm sure you both remember Nine Tails Vale?" Phoenix asked, to which they both nodded.

"Our first case together was there." Apollo answered.

"Well, Mayor Tenma heard about your return, Apollo. He wants to see both of you tonight at the restaurant down there at around 8:30 PM for some legal consultation and just to catch up really." Phoenix said. Apollo was inclined to agreed, but Athena raised an eyebrow.

"Why the specific time and location? And since when did that place get a restaurant?" Athena asked.

"Being a mayor is busy, guess that's the only time he can make. As for the location, well, I don't make the rules. You'll have to ask him yourself. And the place has added a few tourist locations ever since that case you both did with them. Skyrocketed their popularity. But it's still the same for the most part." Phoenix answered.

"I haven't seen Tenma for a while. Would be nice to catch up with him." Apollo smiled. Athena crossed her arms, sighing.

"I guess… Beats having another boring day. Fine, I'll go. I just hope this isn't some sort of set up for a date or anything…" Athena mumbled.

"Athena, we're not doing anything here." Phoenix chuckled. In sync, both Trucy and Pearl spoke.

"We _promise!_ "

* * *

Nine Tails Vale  
May 25, 2030

"I haven't seen this place for ages… Brings back some memories, don't you think?" Apollo smiled as he stood before the town, his arms crossed with Athena by his side.

"Let's just get this over with…" She sighed as she walked forward. Apollo looked concerned as he walked beside her, and he finally took the opportunity to speak up.

"Athena, we need to talk. No more of this silence, it's stupid. You're not helping anyone or yourself." Apollo said. Athena didn't even bother to look at Apollo as they walked to the front of the restaurant, Athena opening the door and stepping in.

As a waiter greeted them, Athena looked at every individual table, and not much to her surprise, didn't find a single one with Mayor Tenma on it. She sighed, grabbing Apollo's hand and walking to the door. "They set us up. Let's go."

"A-Athena, wait!" Apollo stuttered. She froze. "You're holding my hand, Athena… You always used to do that…"

Athena glanced at their joint hands, and immediately let go, slightly blushing. "Going so soon?" The waiter asked, a tad disappointed. Athena looked at him, then Apollo.

"Come on, Athena. I'm sure this place was pretty damn expensive. Not many people get the opportunity to eat here. Why waste the chance?" Apollo offered. Athena glared at Apollo for a full five seconds, before sighing and walking forward.

"Fine…" She muttered. The waiter guided the couple to a table for two, which, unsurprisingly, was covered in flowers and lanterns to signify a date in the restaurant. "This must be Trucy and Pearl's doing…"

"Those kids really are desperate, aren't they?" Apollo chuckled. "I feel kinda sorry for them… I mean, they only want us-"

"Out with it, Apollo. You want to say something, so say it." Athena sighed. Apollo stared worryingly at the woman for a few seconds, before sighing, and finally, speaking.

"Ever since I've come back, you've given me the cold shoulder, and I fully respect that… But even after Trucy and Pearl's desperation, my kindness, my… Attacks and protection of you, you still hate me. So all I want to know is this, Athena…" Apollo sighed, before leaning forward and asking one question.

" _Why?_ Why do you still hate me so much?"

 _Staring at the bottom of your glass_ _  
_ _Hoping one day you'll make a dream last_ _  
_ _But dreams come slow and they go so fast_ _  
_ _You see her when you close your eyes_ _  
_ _Maybe one day you'll understand why_ _  
_ _Everything you touch surely dies_

Athena kept looking down at the floor, shuddering. Eventually, she took a breath. "Why, you ask? I'll tell you why… When you were given the choice of staying with me, a person who truly cared about you, and staying at some dumb country because you wanted to make a name for yourself…"

Athena then suddenly flicked her head up, stood up and shot the seat out behind her, and slammed a fist on the table. "You chose to _abandon me!_ "

Everyone in the restaurant turned their heads to the screaming, and Athena didn't stop. "You say you wanted to help an entire country, but some of that country wanted you _dead! I_ cared about you, Apollo! I… Dammit, I'll just say it, I _loved_ you, Apollo Justice! I loved you more than any human could love another human, I loved you to the moon and back and even further beyond!"

 _But you only need the light when it's burning low_ _  
_ _Only miss the sun when it starts to snow_ _  
_ _Only know you love her when you let her go_

"And yet you chose to _abandon me!_ You _left me!_ Did you ever stop to think about how much I cared about you? Did you even care about _me?!_ " Athena screamed. It was only then that Apollo objected.

"You know that's not true! I did and still do care about you so much, Athena!"

"Then why did you _leave?!_ WHY?!" Athena was now releasing everything, and tears were flooding her eyes.

 _Only know you've been high when you're feeling low_ _  
_ _Only hate the road when you're missing home_ _  
_ _Only know you love her when you let her go_

"I first met you right here, and I cared for you after I threw an officer at you! I cared about you the entire trial, because I wanted to win alongside you! I cared about you in the explosion, making you my number one priority to get out of the courtroom! When you were in hospital, who did you think was bringing all those flowers for you?! I cared about you when you passed out! I cared about you when you accused me of murder! I cared about you when you asked me to punch you! I cared about you when we sent a man into space together! I cared about you the entire Christmas break and beyond! I cared about you when you were afraid of heights! I cared about you when you were about to lose someone so close to you… And the times when you _did._ I cared about you, I cared about you, I _cared_ about you! Maybe I still do, hell if I know, but tell me _one thing_ …" Athena sniffled. "When did you care about me? Name _one time!_ "

Apollo suddenly raised a hand to Athena's cheek, cupping it, and she didn't resist immediately. "I can name an infinite amount of times, but I'll name one… I cared about you when I _left you_."

Athena placed a hand on top of the one he had placed on her cheek. She stared deeply into his eyes, and she could've kissed him right there. Sunk into his world… But she instead snapped the hand away from her, storming out of the restaurant. "Leave me alone, Apollo!"

"Athena, wait!" Apollo ran out of the building, but Athena was long gone. She ran down to the furthest building she could, and went behind that building, whatever it was. She leaned against a wall and slid down, sitting in fetal position, burying her head into her legs and sobbing. _This is what true heartbreak feels like… Separating from the one thing you loved most…_

She sobbed, but her sobbing was cut short. She heard sprinting footsteps and assumed it was Apollo, but was instead met with someone else. A tall man with a beard and a switchblade in hand sprinting towards her, and before Athena had time to react or fight back, the man had a strong hand clasped around her mouth, a knife in her face.

"Be real still and real quiet, and this'll go a lot easier." The man growled. It took a while for Athena to comprehend the situation, but as the man stuck his hand in her pockets, she soon realized the situation: She was being mugged and possibly murdered.

Her first instinct was to scream and kick at the man, but he immediately bought the knife one inch away from her eye. "Keep your trap shut, or I pop one of your eyeballs out of your damn head!"

" _HEY!_ "

Athena heard a loud voice from the distance, and turned to her left to see a man with two spikes on his head running towards her and the mugger. _Apollo?!_ The mugger barely had time to react before Apollo tackled into him. "Stay away from her, you bastard!"

The two men rolled around on the floor, both of their hands gripped at the knife. Athena took deep breathes as she felt air rush back to her throat, but immediately looked to the two men wrestling on the ground. "A-Apollo!"

And in one moment, she heard a terrifying pained cry. Coming from Apollo. The two men separated, Apollo with the knife in his hand, but it was different… Athena then spotted the blood leaking from a wound on his hand. "Get away from her! Don't come back here!" Apollo yelled. The mugger knew he was caught, and immediately made a run for it. Apollo then dropped the knife, grabbing his bleeding hand. "Son of a bitch…"

"W-What happened?!" Athena asked, her heart still racing from everything happening to suddenly.

"He got a cut on my hand. Not too bad, but it hurts like hell." Apollo said, showing off the wound. A diagonal cut right on his palm that went fairly deep, but not enough for stiches. Athena started to panic, and for the first time, Apollo saw Widget go completely blank and her pupils dilate as she grabbed the sides of her own head.

"I-I-I didn't know what to do, I mean, he had me in a position I couldn't escape, and I thought I was dead, and, and, and you came and, you're hurt, and I should've helped and oh god, oh god, oh _god…_ " She started breathing rapid breathes, trying to calm herself. She then felt Apollo's warm arms wrap around her. She froze for a second, looking up at him.

"It's okay, Athena… It's okay…" Apollo soothingly said, running his non-bleeding hand over her hair. And for the first time, Athena returned the hug, tightly gripping the back of Apollo's shirt and burying her face into his shoulder.

"Apollo… I don't want to lose you again…"

"You won't…"

Athena finally got a few breathes in, deep ones, before breaking away from the hug and looking at his injured hand. "L-Let me help…" She whispered, undoing her hair tie and letting her orange hair flow carelessly as she wrapped the blue tie around Apollo's hand, attempting to stop the bleeding. Red leaked into the hair tie, but it didn't go through, so it was working thankfully.

"I-I got some s-stuff back at the apartment, since I doubt this place wants anything to do with us after the mess we made… Y-You reckon you can go that long?" Athena asked. Apollo scoffed, smiling at the woman.

"I'm not gonna die or anything, Athena. Minor wound." Apollo smiled. And for what would quite possibly be the first time in two years, Athena _smiled_ , slightly giggling.

"Yeah, you were always one to tough it out." Athena sighed. The two walked to the front of the village where a cab was still luckily waiting for them. The entire time, Athena kept her hand in Apollo's, making the excuse of _trying to keep it okay_ , but she really just wanted to feel him again. Feel his warmth, his skin. The cab drive to Athena's apartment was about an hour, and it was already late at night.

"Athena… You sure you're alright?" Apollo asked. She had her eyes locked out the window the entire time, her hand still wrapped around Apollo's bloody one. Slowly, she let the turning of the car slide her to the left, causing her to rest her head on Apollo's shoulder, her eyes shut.

"I'm just glad you're okay…" Athena mumbled. She probably wasn't even half conscious, and Apollo allowed her to rest there, wrapping an arm around her to hold her closer to him. The next day, Athena would probably just call this _caring for an injured person._

But right now, Apollo had another name for it.

 _Love._

* * *

 _ **SONGS USED IN THIS CHAPTER:**_

 **Let Her Go – PASSENGER**

* * *

 _ **REVIEW RESPONSES (YANMEGAMAN):  
**_ **Napoleaon32: Honestly, that is so true! "Mr. Takumi! The fans seem very excited for the return of Maya Fey."**  
 **"Excellent… Now destroy their souls and send Apollo away."**  
 **I'm gonna admit, it was difficult to write Athena being so angry at Apollo, but the ending of this story will hopefully make up for it!**  
 **This is very true. Just because most of the country seemed be on the Dragon's side, that doesn't mean everyone would swayed so easily. 23 years of hate against lawyers won't disappear over night. Yeah, Apollo sure can be clueless, eh? XD**

 **JordanPhoenix: I do owe that wonderful song suggestion to you. It was such a perfect song for these star crossed love birds, I simply had to use it, so thank you so much for the suggestion! Pretty sure a lot of us weren't looking too kindly at Mr. Justice when he couldn't even spare a phone call. Glad I could give him such a good reason for dropping off the face of the Earth!**

 **KingofBlacks: Oh, if that chapter gave you feels, I dread to see what this one did to you! Am so glad you enjoyed it!**

 **Jaredjiro: How anyone can hate these pairings is beyond me. Ship 'em or not, they're so incredibly sweet, ya gotta give 'em some love!**  
 **Ask and you shall receive dear reader! And expect the final chapter real soon!**


	4. Love, At Last

_**Yanmegaman:**_ Ah, good to finally have this wonderful chapter out of the way! I really did have a blast doing this chapter. And really this whole story! It's always a pleasure working with the Wonder from Down Under, and I really hope I did this story Justice with my finale! Thank you all so much for your support through the whole project!

 ** _ThePudz:_** IT'S OVER! IT'S FINALLY OVER! In all seriousness, I had an absolute blast working on this tale with one of my best mates, and it's always good to write the dorkiest couple ever! We hope you enjoy this grand, fluffy and steamy finale!

* * *

Athena Cykes' Apartment  
May 25, 2030

Apollo stepped into the apartment, careful not to wake the slumbering girl in his arms. Athena had passed out in the cab, still holding his hand for dear life. He made his way to the bedroom, wary not to wake Luna, who was currently sleeping on the couch that Apollo had been calling his bed for the last two nights.

Stepping into Athena's bedroom, he carefully laid the girl on her bed and took a seat at her side, simply watching her sleep. The gentle sound of her breathing. The softness of her peaceful face, now clear of the tears that had stained it just an hour earlier. Her long flowing red hair. Truly, Athena Cykes was a beauty to behold.

He decided to leave her be and make his way back to the couch, hoping he could shoo away Luna without getting clawed again. However, before he could even get to his feet, he suddenly a hand grab his own.

"Please stay." He heard Athena's soft voice. The man turned around to see her eyes now open and looking into his own, pleading for him not to go. "Don't go, Apollo."

Apollo was speechless as the girl sat up and move closer to him, pulling him into a hug. Apollo had lost count how many times she had hugged since he had chased off that mugger. But he wasn't about to complain. He'd missed her hugs so much. He returned the embrace. "I won't, Tiger."

The red and yellow lawyers stayed like that for some time before Athena finally pulled back, reaching down and opening a small door on her nightstand. "Here, let me take care of your hand." She said as she pulled out a small first-aid kit.

Apollo couldn't help but chuckle at the girl's worrisome attitude about such a minor wound. Nonetheless, he held his hand out to her.

* * *

Justice Law Offices  
February 20, 2030

Apollo sat at his desk in the Justice Law Offices. Things had been quiet with the Reinstatement regime for a while now. And although this meant he could breathe for a moment, it made him feel uneasy. The group was most likely planning something at that moment, and there was no telling when or where they would attack next.

Interrupting the man's thoughts, the door of the law office opened up and a man wearing a black hoodie stepped inside, the hood covering their face.

Although wary, Apollo made his way to the person to greet them.

"Hello there. Welcome to the Justice Law Offices. How can I help you."

The person kept their face hidden as they spoke. "How can you help me?"

Apollo had only a moment to react as the person produced a knife from the pockets of their hoodie.

"You can _die!_ "

* * *

Athena Cykes' Apartment  
May 25, 2030

Athena finished wrapping the gauze around Apollo's hand, looking far more professional than the now ruined hair tie, which Apollo quickly discarded in a nearby trash bucket.

"Remind me that I owe you a new hair tie." Apollo joked. He received no response from Athena and turned to look at the girl. She still had a hold of Apollo's hand, a sensation Apollo was growing rather used to, but she had her gaze cast downward. "Athena? You alright."

The girl remained quiet for a moment before opening her mouth, still looking towards the floor. "Apollo… Please… I need to know." She finally looked up at him, revealing the tears in her eyes. "I listened to your heart earlier. You meant it when you said you cared about me. But if that's true… Why did you leave? Why didn't you stay? Why did things have to change?"

Seeing those beautiful blue orbs filled with tears tore at Apollo's heart. He'd seen this girl shed tears before, and it destroyed him each time. Shifting his position, the horn-fringed man pulled the woman close to him, using one of his hands to wipe the tears from her eyes. He spoke softly into her ear in his most soothing voice.

"Athena, I need you to understand something, so listen to my heart again. Leaving you was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. I wanted to tell you all that day that I was going back to LA."

"Then why didn't you?" Athena asked.

Apollo stayed silent for a moment. "Because I couldn't betray Dhurke." He felt the girl tense up in his arms. "I know you think I stayed behind to become some world famous lawyer, but that's not true. I never cared about being famous. All I cared about was fulfilling Dhurke's dream and restoring the legal system. He'd done so much for me in his life, taking me in when I had no family, raising me into the man I am today… I needed to return the favor. If I hadn't stayed, no one would have been there to help change anything. The DC Act would be gone, but no lawyer would trust the courts. Not without someone leading the charge. And with Dhurke gone, they had no one."

Athena slowly wrapped her arms around the man, pulling him closer as she listened to his true voice.

"I owed it to him to see the revolution through." The red lawyer took yet another moment to pause, readying himself for what he was about to say. "Even if it meant giving up the woman I loved."

Athena gasped and suddenly pulled back, looking Apollo straight in the eye. "T-the woman you loved? Y-you don't mean…" The girl trailed off, her voice catching in her throat.

Apollo meanwhile fished into his pocket, digging for something. After a moment, he pulled his hand back out and reached for Athena's with his other, placing something in her hand.

"You were supposed to get this two years ago, Athena. Better late than never, right?"

Athena looked in her hand to see a beautiful silver locket in the shape of a heart. It was clear just from a glance that it had not been cheap. Pressing the button on the side, the girl popped it open.

And her breath caught in her throat.

Inside was a picture of the two lawyers taken two years prior. It showed them at a birthday party for Phoenix, and the two of them were really cutting loose. Smiling ear to ear, they had swapped some clothes, with Apollo wearing Athena's yellow blazer, which clung tightly to his arms, and Athena sporting Apollo's waistcoat hanging loosely from her body.

It was one of the few pictures the two had taken together. It was also her favorite.

Engraved around the edge of the picture was also a beautiful quote that she read aloud.

" _You are my sun, my moon, and all of my stars."_

"So, whaddya think, Tiger?" The red lawyer asked expectantly.

Athena wasted no time removing Widget and placing the locket around her neck. Standing from the bed, she walked to the other side of the room and admired herself in the wall mirror.

"I love it, Apollo." She said, still in awe of the wonderful gift she had received. She tentatively stepped closer to the man. "But… What do you think? How do I look?"

Apollo stood from the bed and closed the gap between the two of them. He gently placed his good hand upon her cheek, softly caressing it. Athena leaned into his palm, softly placing her hand on his wrist but making no move to remove his hand. The two stared deeply into each other's eyes, as if memorizing the minute details of their irises.

"You look beautiful." Apollo said, that wonderful smile Athena loved so much plastered on his face.

It was hard to say who made the first move, but before either of them realized it, their faces were only inches apart. Apollo didn't need any special hearing to notice the hesitation in the way Athena breathed, and Athena didn't need any kind of super sight to notice the dark blush now staining Apollo's cheeks. They both knew they wanted this. They both knew the other wanted it. All that was left to do was close those last few inches.

They both leaned forward simultaneously and met in the middle, their lips at last melding together in a kiss.

* * *

Justice Law Offices  
February 20, 2030

Before Apollo knew it, the man had charged at him and he was now struggling for his life as he held his attacker back, the knife only inches from his face.

"You damn lawyers ruined everything! The Holy Mother's wrath will be upon us all unless you are exterminated!" The man cried out, fighting with all his strength to end Apollo's life.

Apollo kept his focus on dealing with his attacker, kneeing the person in the gut and taking advantage of the split second he had to get behind the man and twist his arm behind his back. Those self-defense classes from Nahyuta were definitely paying off.

"Y'know, I'm getting real sick of you people who think committing murder is gonna somehow be a gateway to the afterlife. I guess whether it's America or Khura'in, the extremists are all the same." Apollo taunted the person as he slammed him against his desk, sending papers flying to the floor.

The attacker struggled against Apollo for a moment before his eye caught on something the desk.

A picture of a young redheaded girl in a yellow suit.

"A real cute girl in this picture. Wife? Girlfriend?" The man asked.

"You just keep quiet. I'm keeping you here until the police show up." Apollo said as he pulled his cell phone and began to dial the number.

The man, however, ignored the lawyer. "Oh, what's that on her blazer? An attorney's badge?"

"I said shut up."

"I think I remember her now. She helped you hide the Founder's Orb, didn't she?"

Apollo was getting irritated now. "Shut. Up."

"I guess we'll have to go after her at some point. Where was it you worked before? The… Wright Anything Agency."

"I SAID SHUT- AH!" Apollo was caught off guard by his outburst, and the man took advantage of this, bashing the back of his head against Apollo's nose.

Apollo reeled back, wincing in pain as held his hand to his nose. He heard the assassin shuffling around but was in too much pain to even open his eyes.

Just as the red Lawyer opened his eyes, it was too late. The man tackled Apollo to the ground and looked at him with murder in his eyes.

"Ur Di'hara Ga'ran." With those chilling words, the man plunged the knife into Apollo's gut.

* * *

Athena Cykes' Apartment  
May 25, 2030

It was indescribable. The softness of Athena's lips was like a cushiony pillow that Apollo was certain he would simply sink into. The warmth was like no other, spreading through his whole body, warming him from the inside out. He knew there was a word for this moment. Much like Athena, it was right on the tip of his tongue. It was only when the girl began to run her fingers through his chestnut hair that the word came to him.

Perfect.

Athena had never felt anything like this before. Unless one was to count a peck on the lips from Juniper during a spin the bottle game when she was younger, this was her first kiss. And it was everything she could have possibly imagined. Soft, warm, firm, loving… These were all words she could have used, be she instead chose to go with the most fitting.

Perfect.

Ever so slowly, the lip locked duo began inching their way back towards the bed as the kiss deepened, their tongues melting together and exploring each other's mouths, savoring each and every moment.

Before they knew it, they were back on the bed, Apollo above the girl and his lips now exploring other parts of her body. A gentle kiss to her neck earned a sharp gasp of his name as Athena clutched at his shirt, fumbling for the buttons of his waistcoat.

Was she moving too fast? She wasn't sure. All she could think about was how much she loved this man and how much she had longed to be near him for two long years. How much she had wanted to feel his lips on hers and tell him those three words…

Wait! Those three words? Crap! She couldn't go through with this until she actually told him. She had mentioned at the restaurant that she had loved him before. He needed to know that she still did! And always would!

"A-Apollo. Wait." She managed to choke as the man continued to place butterfly kisses upon her neck. He immediately halted and looked her in the eye.

"What is it? Did I go too far?" He asked worriedly, afraid he might have scared the girl with his intimacy.

The girl shook her said. "No. It's not that. This all feels right. And I don't want to stop. It's just… Before we go any further, I need to tell you…" The words caught in her throat. How had it been so easy to tell him earlier when she was so angry yet now that she so desperately needed to tell him, her voice failed her. It was only when she gazed deep into Apollo's brown orbs that she found the strength to press on. She put one arm around the back of his neck and placed her other hand on his cheek. "I need you to know that I love you. I said earlier that I used to. But I never stopped. Even as angry as I was, I still loved you no matter how much I may have tried to stop. I just… I needed you to know that."

Her lover smiled earnestly at this. God, how he had wanted to hear those words from her. He took her hand from his cheek and tenderly placed a kiss upon it. "I love you too, Athena. I truly, deeply, with all of my heart do. Being apart from you killed me. Not a day went by that you didn't cross my mind."

Athena smiled brightly. She'd waited so long to hear him say those words. And with her heightened sense of hearing, she could hear the voice of his heart. And it was like a melodious love song as he said them. He meant it. With every fiber of his being, Apollo Justice meant it when he said he loved Athena Cykes.

"Say it again." She requested.

He smilingly obliged, leaning closer to her. "I love you."

"Again."

"I love you." Another inch closer.

"Again."

Finally, Apollo pressed his lips to hers in a searing kiss, which reignited the flames of passion within them both. He kissed her until they were both breathless before finally pulling back and speaking again. "I love you."

* * *

Athena Cykes' Apartment  
May 26, 2030

Athena's eyes fluttered open, slowly adjusting to the light filtering in through the window. She was immediately aware of two things that were different from when she normally woke up in the morning.

The first was that she was nude. Admittedly, she tended to sleep in little more than a tank top and a pair of panties, but very rarely did she completely shed everything before bed.

The second was that she was not alone in her bed.

The girl felt an arm around her waist. Following it to its owner, she found herself face to face with an equally nude Apollo Justice.

The brown haired lawyer was sleeping peacefully with his arm draped around Athena, his hair a disheveled mess.

Ordinarily, Athena would freak out. She was naked in bed with her co-worker, after all! But the memories of the night before flooded back to her quickly and she instead found herself grinning like an idiot. Of course Apollo was in her bed. After all, just the night before, she'd given herself to him. Given him her innocence and received his love in return.

Athena felt happy. For the first time in two long, painful years, she was happy.

Apollo finally began to stir, his eyes slowly opening and taking in the sight of Athena's beautiful visage only inches from his. He seemed to recall the night before far quicker than she had, as instead of looking shocked for even a moment, he simply smiled and pulled the girl in close for a kiss.

"Morning, Tiger." He said, his voice definitively deeper than normal. Something that Athena loved. "Sleep well."

The redhead nodded, grinning ear to ear. "I sure did. After all, you really wore me out." She snuggled close to her newfound beau. "Last night was… Wow."

Apollo smiled and buried his face in her hair. "Yeah, you were definitely pretty… Wow. Let's hope I don't get cat scratch fever though."

The girl giggled and buried her face deeper into the crook of his neck. "Hey, you're the one who calls me Tiger. You should have expected me to have claws."

The two shared a laugh and continued to lay there, simply enjoying the closeness. Though they'd cuddled in the past (Due to _someone_ not paying the heating bill) this was much different. Not even simply due to the lack of clothing. Things had changed between them. Their love for each other was now out in the open.

And being free from the chains of unspoken love was indescribable.

Athena absentmindedly ran her fingertips over the scars covering Apollo's body. The roughness was a stark contrast to the smoothness of the rest of his skin.

"Sometimes I forget just how badly you were hurt after the bombing. Are all of these really from that?"

There was a moment of hesitation before Apollo spoke, and Athena swore she felt him tense up."

"Y-yeah."

 _Discord._

Athena pulled back and looked at her boyfriend. "Apollo… I can hear the discord. What aren't you telling me?"

Apollo looked away, silent.

"Apollo, please. If we're going to be together, I don't want there to be secrets." She gently caressed his cheek. Please, talk to me."

The red lawyer looked into her pleading for a moment. Finally, he placed his own hand upon hers and began to guide it down his body, finally stopping a large, pink scar on his abdomen.

"This one is different."

* * *

Justice Law Offices  
February 20, 2030

Apollo had never felt pain like this before. He'd been crushed under rubble, had his head nearly bashed in, almost drowned, and been practically assaulted by the Royal Guard.

But all of that was nothing in comparison to the feeling of the blade now in his gut.

He wanted to cry out. Scream in pain. But it was as if all the breath had been sucked straight his lungs. It hurt to even breath.

The attacker pulled the blade from his body. _Slowly._

Oh God, it hurt even worse having the blade removed! He attempted to scream, but no sound came out.

"I bet that hurt. That's not even a tenth of the pain I'm sure you've caused others with your lying lawyer ways." The man mocked, waving the knife in front of Apollo's, the sight of his own blood dripping from the blade horrifying the injured man. The attacker held the knife to Apollo's throat. "I could kill you right now. End your suffering."

Apollo waited for the man's next move, expecting his life to be cut short any second now. But the man pulled the blade away.

"But I'd sooner leave you to bleed out slowly. Suffer as you've made others suffer with your lawyerly lies." The assassin pocketed the knife and walked towards Apollo's desk, grabbing the picture of Athena. "Here." He tossed the picture to the ground beside Apollo, the frame shattering and spreading across the floor. "I'll at least let you die with a view of your loved one. And don't worry." The attacker made his way to the door and opened it before saying one last thing. "I'm sure she'll be joining you soon in the Twilight Realm."

With that, the man was gone and Apollo lay there in a growing puddle of his own blood. Oh God, did it hurt.

 _Is this really it? Is this really where I'm going to die? On the dirty floor of my law office? Never getting to see any of the people I care about again?_

He turned his head weakly, looking toward the picture that had been tossed beside him. Reaching out, he grabbed the photo from the pile of shattered glass and plastic.

"A-the..na." He croaked as he looked at the picture. "I wish… I could have… told you.." He felt himself slipping away, darkness beginning to envelope him. He clutched the picture tightly to his chest. "How… I… Felt…" With those as his last words, Apollo fell unconscious.

* * *

Athena Cykes' Apartment  
May 26, 2030

Athena stared down at the photo in her hands. A bloodstained picture of herself. Everything about it showed massive wear and tear. It had folded up, crushed, and possibly even dropped in water. But her smile still shone through clearly in the picture.

"Nahyuta was the one who found me." Apollo explained. "The police heard me being attacked on the phone and sent medics out immediately. Ema called Nahyuta and he just happened to be nearby. He said when he found me, I was clutching that picture for dear life. The medics practically had to pry it out of my hand."

Athena looked up at the man, silent, and with tears in her eyes.

Apollo went on explaining. "I didn't wake up for a week. When I did, I had no idea how much time had passed, but I did remember what I was dreaming about the whole time I was out." He looked into the girl's eyes. "I dreamt about you. I dreamt about coming home and finally telling you how I felt. Of being with you. Of just seeing you again."

Athena was struggling to not let the tears overtake her, but she losing the battle. "God DAMN you, Apollo!" She cried out, flinging the picture at the man.

"Huh? W-what'd-"

The girl pulled him close and began sobbing onto his chest. "Damn it! Can't you go five minutes without almost dying!?" She wailed.

The red lawyer wrapped his arms around his newfound girlfriend and stayed silent, letting his actions alone speak for him.

I-I don't know what I'd d-do if something happened to you." Athena choked out between sobs. "I was a wreck from you just being in a different country."

"Athena," He cooed softly. "I'm sorry for everything I've put you through. I realize now just how much all my brushes with death must have affected you. And if this is what me being gone would do to you, I wish I could tell you I'll live forever." He felt the girl sniffling against his chest. "But we both know I can't promise that. SO take this promise instead." Athena pulled back just enough to look into Apollo's sincere eyes, with him returning the gaze right back. "For as long as I'm breathing, I swear to you I will fight with every ounce of my being to continue doing so. For you. If a life with me is what you want, then I will make sure that you have it. And if I should pass before you, know that my heart will forever belong to you and I will wait eternally for you in whatever afterlife awaits me. Be it the Twilight Realm or the Hell of Tickling."

Athena giggled softly before lightly punching him in the shoulder. "You're such a dork."

Apollo smiled at her. "Maybe." He leaned down a place a soft kiss on her lips. "But I'm your dork. Now and forever."

The two sat there for some time, simply holding each other closely.

"Y'know," Athena started. "We ARE supposed to be at work soon."

"Yeah… How angry do you think Mr. Wright would be if we both called in today?"

* * *

Wright Anything Agency  
May 26, 2030

"Yeah, that's fine. You two just feel better soon, alright? … No, it's really no problem, Apollo. After everything you dealt with in Khura'in, one sick day isn't a big deal. Alright, I'll see you both soon."

Phoenix placed the phone on the receiver, chuckling to himself as he did so. _Sounds like Trucy and Pearl's plan was a rousing success._

"If I'm not mistaken," Said the guest who sat across from Phoenix. "It sounds as though he won't be coming today."

"Afraid not." Phoenix said. "He, ah, came down with a bug. Stomach, bed, or love, take your pick. So I guess you'll have to wait just one more day."

"That's quite alright." The woman said, fumbling with the bracelet on her wrist. "I've kept them waiting for far too long. It seems only fair I should be kept waiting."

* * *

 ** _REVIEW RESPONSES (THEPUDZ):_**

 **KingofBlacks:  
** **Trucy and Pearl are the best shippers in the AA universe and I love 'em to death! It's so fun to write them! Hehe, we appreciate the nicknames and the kind support you've been giving throughout the entire story.**

 **JordanPhoenix:  
Writing these Ace Shippers is some of the most fun I have as a writer! And yes, Magical Siblings are Best Siblings. Well, the mystery of the wound hath been revealed! And yes, keep coming flames! We appreciate the publicity you give us!**

 **napoleon32:  
I couldn't leave the magical siblings out of this. They are too precious! The Ace Shippers have to suffer, but it is needed to reunite the two dorks known as Apollo and Athena XD I'm, uh, KNOWN for torturing Athena a lot, my partner holds me at knife point for it sometimes... That is a very good lesson to learn for ALL lovers, and we appreciate YOUR love!**

 **Zeldafreak84067:  
We love hearing from you, even if it is delayed! Athena is quite complex in this story really, but she's finally opened her true self. The Ace Shippers must spring into action to reunite these dorks in true fashion!**

 **Tabetha Winters:  
WE LOVE YOU, TOO! Athena really is suffering, but finally, she's ok and back with Apollo, and even better now! She really is complex in this story, but she's been sorted out now thankfully. We hope you enjoy this chapter as you have been with the others!**

 **Brock's Geodude:  
... I am a forgetful person. It even affects me in my writing XD Glad you enjoyed either way!**

 **WitchHatsFTW:  
Apart from the dates being simple typo's which have since been fixed, your criticism is valid. Two different writers, two different ****variations, and we aren't exactly the same as each other so apologies if Athena seems different. We're glad you don't COMPLETELY hate the story, and we're glad you have SOME reason behind your criticism, unlike some other flamers... We thank you for giving your time to read, as well!**


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